In this course, the second in the Market Research Specialization, you will go in-depth with qualitative market research methods, from design to implementation to analysis.
Week 1: Define qualitative research and how it differs from quantitative research. Explore the various qualitative research methods and evaluate when and how to use them for your research project.
Week 2: Design the qualitative instruments necessary for your interviews or focus groups, and plan your recruitment efforts. Write questions and prompts to ask in an interview or focus group. Design a moderator guide and a screening questionnaire to use when recruiting your participants.
Week 3: Recruit participants for your focus group and apply techniques to ensure they show up and participate. Act as a moderator during your focus group and apply strategies to handle various types of situations. Probe responses and engage participants in a group discussion, while collecting qualitative data and keep the discussion moving.
Week 4: Organize and analyze the data you have collected. Transcribe the audio from your focus group or interview and interpret your notes. Write a focus group report that can be presented to your stakeholders and see how this information might relate to your quantitative research.
Take Qualitative Research as a standalone course or as part of the Market Research Specialization. You should have equivalent experience to completing the first course in this specialization, Research Report: Initiating Research, before taking this course. By completing the second class in the Specialization you will gain the skills needed to succeed in the full program.

From the lesson

Conduct a Focus Group

In this module, you will transition into applying what you’ve learned previously to conduct a focus group, from design to implementation. You will be able to clarify the purpose of focus groups for qualitative market research and learn associated best practices. You will be able to build on and use the instruments you designed in the previous module. Here you will write confirmation letters and talking points to get the right participants to show up for your focus group. You will be able to identify common pitfalls experienced moderators know and be able to avoid them. You will be able to practice the essential skills needed to moderate a focus group well.